Thursday, 25 August 2011

A few of you lovely readers requested the recipe for the Nutella cupcakes from my cookbook of the month for August - The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook, and so I am only too happy to oblige!

I made these as part of my selection for RSPCA Cupcake Day recently and there were a popular choice! It's amazing how many people (or particular, women) swoon at the very mention of 'nutella'. There's just something about it I guess. Personally speaking, it's something I avoid keeping in my pantry cupboard as it is just too dangerous. It all starts out innocent with a teaspoonful just to get a taste, then it's a piece of white toast with some of that delicious hazelnut-chocolate spread smeared on top.. and before you know it the whole jar's empty! Irresistibly evil....

This recipe comes from The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook. The great thing about this recipe is that the cupcake itself is quite light, so combined with the rich icing the result is not too over the top Nutella. The recipe and makes between 24 and 30 cupcakes. They will keep for 2 days and freeze for 2 months.

3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the caster sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition. After the last addition, beat until the mixture if light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

4. Add a third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half the yoghurt and beat until combined. Repeat this process. Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture. Add the hazelnut meal and beat until combined.

5. Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. I like to use a levelled off ice cream scoop to quickly and evenly divide the mixture. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting.

1. Spoon the Nutella into a bowl and stir in the Frangelico.
2. Put the whipped cream into a small bowl and fold ina quarter of the Nutella mixture.
3. Then fold the whipped cream mixture into the remaining Nutella.

Note: Above is the original frosting recipe from the book, however, I struggled with this. As it was a cold evening when I was making this, I ended up sitting the nutella jar in hot tapwater before transferring its contents to a bowl. I also had difficulty combining the nutella, frangelico and cream all together and ended up using a stick blender to combine the three ingredients sufficiently to achieve a spreadable consistency. I piped mine onto the cupcakes and topped with crushed hazelnuts. Sooo... you may need to improvise a little with the frosting recipe to make it work for you... Alternatively - here's an idea I think I'll be using next time: Drizzle a little frangelico over the cupcakes and then frost with straight Nutella! :) Yum!

Anyone have any trouble with this frosting splitting? It split like a badly done ganache for me and nothing I have done (mostly ganache recovery techniques) will resurrect it! I don't want to throw out all that nutella! Any help greatly appreciated :)

About Me

Welcome to the Diary of a Ladybird.
My name is Anna I live in Brisbane, Queensland. I am a mum to two little people and run my own small business creating bespoke cakes. This blog is a journal of my culinary explorations - recipes, places to eat, and a profile of my cake work as well as other things that inspire me as a food blogger, home cook and cake decorator :)
To contact me, email diaryofaladybird@gmail.com